Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Dynamos captain Murape Murape has been instructed to retract “defamatory” statements on ex-Zimbabwe youth international Walter “Ringers” Musanhu.
Murape has since been served with the order by Musanhu’s legal representatives, James Majatame Attorneys at Law.
Murape stands accused of having defamed the China-based Jadel Football Academy director in a WhatsApp group called Former Footballers, in which he accused Musanhu of having an incestuous relationship with his sisters. The statement then went viral.
He also called Musanhu “mainini” and falsely claimed that the former Motor Action defender never played football for Dynamos, Young Warriors and the Mighty Bulls.
Murape has been given five days to retract his statements via mainstream media, failure of which will result in further litigation.
Musanhu refused to comment on the issue with the youth football development and the sports tourism luminary referring us to his lawyers.
We reproduce part of the letter from Musanhu lawyers below:
2. Our client has advised that on or about the 9th and 10th instant, you unlawfully and wrongfully published certain defamatory material on a WhatsApp group known as Former Footballers, which reportedly had 277 members on the day of publication. The said material is available in electronic format.
“3. The defamatory statements are to the following effect:
a) That our client is committing an act of incest by sleeping with his unnamed sisters;
b) That he is homosexual and you referred to him as “mainini”;
c) That he falsely claimed to have played for the Zimbabwe Youth national football team, Dynamos Football Club, and Motor Action Football Club;
d) That he pays journalists to publish fabricated stories about him in newspapers and features; and
e) That he has sour relations with Gilbert Mushangazhike, which allegedly led to his desertion from his football academy.
4. These allegations are false, malicious, and wholly unsubstantiated. Your statements are factually incorrect in their entirety and were clearly intended to tarnish our client’s reputation. To aggravate the matter, you subsequently sent our client direct messages via WhatsApp, again referring to him as “mainini”. Such conduct constitutes cyberbullying and harassment and is a criminal offence under section 164B of the Cyber and Data Protection Act (Chapter 12:07).
5. The natural and ordinary meaning of your statements, as understood by the ordinary reader, is that our client:
a) is guilty of committing incest;
b) Practices witchcraft;
c) Is homosexual;
d) Is corrupt, dishonest and a liar, and
e) Is a toxic person.
6. Our client is a highly respected former professional footballer and businessman who operates a successful football academy in both China and Zimbabwe, in addition to running several other business ventures and charitable foundations internationally.
He is at the forefront of sports tourism and helping communities through his Jadel FA 2034 World Cup Project, which seeks to take children out of drug and substance abuse.
7. We are, therefore, instructed to demand, as we hereby do, that you:
a) Retract the defamatory statements in the same Former Footballers WhatsApp group;
b) Publish a written apology and retraction in The Herald and The Sunday Mail for four consecutive weeks within five (5) days of receipt of this letter, setting the record straight; and
c) Refrain from texting, calling, or sending messages to our client.
8. Should you fail to comply within the stipulated time, we have firm instructions to institute civil proceedings for defamation damages against you without further notice. You will also be liable for legal costs arising there from.
9. By copy of this letter, you are further placed on notice that our client has instructed us to initiate criminal proceedings under the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07] and to seek a protection order should the defamatory conduct persist.
10. We trust that litigation will not be necessary and that you will act responsibly by complying with this demand.”
